![Alignment Charts Alignment Charts](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/000/904/alignmentz.jpg)
Alignment Charts
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About
Alignment Charts (also known as Character Alignments) refer to images presenting different categorized subjects -- usually nine -- in a manner that strongly resembles Demotivational Posters. Images within alignment charts usually show characters from a particular subculture (with either a quote or a reasoning below the title of the character's alignment to reflect why they are in that position), but the chart manages to reach levels of irony that reaction images, inanimate objects, and even food can be grouped and categorized.
Origin
The concept of character alignment as it is typically viewed comes from the game Dungeons and Dragons released on 1974,[9] wherein players were able to create their very own characters, customizing a variety of different aspects. One of these aspects is the alignment of the character, which basically indicated whether your character was good or evil and whether he followed the law or not.
The system begun operating on two axis by the 1977 release of Dungeons and Dragons[1], one consisting of "Lawful", "Neutral", and "Chaotic", and the other of "Good", "Neutral", and "Evil"; you would combine one of the traits of the first axis with one of the traits of the other, thus resulting in alignments such as "Lawful Good" or "Chaotic Evil", with nine possible alignments in total.
5×5 Alignment Charts
5×5 Alignment Charts were never designed by the official game. Instead, the additional categories for both axis -- social and rebel; and moral and impure respectively -- are products from the internet. The earliest known instances of a 5×5 Alignment Chart being used dates back to June 5, 2011, when the DeviantArt account DoASpotCheck uploaded their 5 by 5 Alignment Chart comprised of different characters from various subcultures that they feel epitomizes each category.[6]
![5 by 5 Alignment Chart by DoASpotCheck (Original) "*Source -- DeviantArt*":http://doaspotcheck.deviantart.com/art/5-by-5-Alignment-Chart-211890094](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/137/323/e43.png)
Spread
The concept has been implemented by fans in other works of fiction once it has gained traction. The practice of categorizing subjects in forums and image boards has often brought much debate and criticism due to disagreements from all sides.[3][7]
Alignment as a Meme
This all becomes a meme with the practice of taking images of characters (or concepts, or a variety of other things) and (usually in the form of a demotivational poster) labeling them as one of the nine alignments. This is then expanded upon by editing together such images (usually following a theme) into a chart, thus giving a representation of the conventional nine alignments -- 5×5 charts with a total of 25 alignments exist. Images dealing with just one of the alignments, or just with the subject of alignment itself, also exist. For example, on July 23rd, 2017, Twitter user @tinysubversions[10] posted an alignment chart of Dungeons and Dragons alignments that gained over 2,000 retweets and 3,800 likes (shown below, left). Another popular joke version was posted on August 10th of that year by @aurelianrabbit which made each space on the chart a way to store bread. The tweet gained over 25,000 retweets and 59,000 likes (shown below, right).
![Alignment of Alignments True Neutral LAWFUL GOOD Lawful Neutral NEUTRAL GOOD Neutral Good CHAOTIC GOOD Chaotic Good LAWFUL NEUTRAL Lawful Evil TRUE NEUTRAL Neutral Evil CHAOTIC NEUTRAL Lawful Good LAWFUL EVIL Chaotic Evil NEUTRAL EVIL Chaotic Neutral CHAOTIC EVIL](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/285/160/c29.jpg)
![Bread Storage lawful good neutral good chaotic good using a bread box using a bag clip using the 'bottle hack lawful neutral true neutral chaotic neutral reusing the bag clip rubberband twist and tuck lawful evil tying a knot neutral evil just tucking chaotic evil leaving the bag open](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/285/174/255.jpg)
As for the actual origins of this practice, things aren't very clear, but many demotivationals exist. Such comparisons have been made since the first release of Dungeons and Dragons, though it's possible that the book Complete Scoundrel, published in 2007, may have popularized the concept.
Many decades after the concept was made famous, Alignment Charts remain a popular subject for discussion and deviation in online communities. By 2012 a crude template for the alignment chart was made available on Polyvore by user ellerigby13. 74 deviations were produced from this template.[8] A subreddit with 1,537 readers exists that showcases alignment charts submitted by users.[4] On DeviantArt, there is a considerably large number of around 34,000 deviations under the tag "character alignment."[2] A Pinterest gallery dedicated to collecting Alignment Charts has gained 103 followers.[5]
Templates
![Blank Alignment Chart Template by DogPersonThing "*DeviantArt Source*":http://dogpersonthing.deviantart.com/art/Blank-Alignment-Chart-413418733](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/129/679/fb4.png)
![5 x 5 Character Alignment Chart by FacepalmPunch "*DeviantArt Source*":http://chopsilverblood.deviantart.com/art/5-x-5-Character-Alignment-Chart-326137889
The five rows and columns are as follows:
Rows:
Good
Moral
Neutral
Impure
Evil
Columns:
Lawful
Social
Neutral
Rebel
Chaotic](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/130/927/fd9.jpg)
Notable Examples
![Comic book alignment chart LAWFUL GOOD NEUTRAL GOOD CHAOTIC GOOD Many see him as a naive boyscout whipped by his own selfiessness. They will not, cannot, see him for what he is, a hero. A good tonic, altruism. Nothing helps one put problems in perspective like allegiance to a higher cause. No rest. No mercy. No matter what LAWFUL NEUTRAL TRUE NEUTRAL CHAOTIC NEUTRAL I'm not gonna split hairs and I'm not gonna fight my teammates. I mean unless it involves Terry's clothes coming off and mud or chocolate pudding or something like that. Iam the state. I dont expect you to understand. It's how we should exist. How we were meant to exist LAWFUL EVII NEUTRAL EVIL CHAOTIC EVIL Slaves would be tyrants, were the chance theirs. Do you really think fate turned us into gods so we could refuse these gifts? All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. Thats how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day,](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/511/530/bbb.jpg)
![5x5 Steven Universe Alignment chart by Ghostpaint1 "*DeviantArt Source*":http://ghostpaint1.deviantart.com/art/5x5-Steven-Universe-Alignment-chart-557264957](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/132/754/e7f.png)
![Game Company Alignments Nintendo NEUTRL GOOD Free trials and great games on sale. All sales are final. No refunds, HHOTIC GOOD We make quality games If they offend you, tough. IL GoOD Squeaky clean, family-friendly entertainment for decades. SONY ACMTSION LAWFUL NEUTRAL TRUE NEUTRAL Reliable, HHOTIC NECITRAI We'll keep pumping out the endless sequels for as long as you keep buying them maker of well polished On second thought, scrap the used-game DRM. games, if rather uninspired We don't want to piss off our fans. zynga Microsoft ELECTRONIC ARTS Successful basiness model based on Always on, always watehing. Two golden turds. copying other companies' games.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/553/228/a67.jpg)
![Food Alignment SLACKTORY LAWFUL GOOD Everything in its right place. NEUTRAL GOOD With eggs or with potatoes. Just don't undercook it CHAOTIC GO0D Serve it with beer! LAWFUL NEUTRAL Nature's snack pack TRUE NEUTRAL "Maybe they couldn't figure out what to make chicken taste like, which is why it tastes like everything." CHAOTIC NEUTRAL Sloppy Joe, Slop-Sloppy Joe. LAWFUL EVIL No dessert until you eat your veggies NEUTRAL EVIL Bad enough to ruin pizza. CHAOTIC EVIL The smell...has been described as almonds, rotten onions turpentine and gym socks."](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/485/047/d1a.jpg)
Search Interest
External References
[1] Wikipedia – Alignment Dungeons & Dragons
[2] DeviantArt – Character Alignment search results
[3] TV Tropes – Character Alignment
[4] Reddit – Alignment Chart
[5] Pinterest – D&D alignment charts
[6] DeviantArt – 5×5 Alignment Chart
[7] Encyclopedia Dramatica – Alignment
[8] Polyvore (via Internet Archive Wayback Machine) – Make Your Own Alignment Chart
[9] Wikipedia – Dungeons & Dragons
[10] Twitter – @tinysubversions
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Top Comments
Victreebong
Aug 14, 2017 at 07:06PM EDT
ChocolateSawfish
Aug 18, 2017 at 01:19PM EDT